Titans Advance To Quarterfinals After Stunning Defeat Of Canes

By Mike Blum

The last time the Blessed Trinity Titans visited Cartersville for a state playoff game, BT Head Coach Tim McFarlin went for the win in the final seconds instead of kicking a field goal that would have sent the
game into overtime. McFarlin’s gamble five years did not pay off, however, and the Titans suffered a tough 24-23 loss in the second round.

The two teams played one another in the second round playoff game Nov. 17 in Cartersville, and McFarlin faced a similar situation in the closing seconds with Blessed Trinity again trailing by three points. There was a little more time on the clock this time, and McFarlin risked the possibility of another game-ending interception to take a shot at the end zone.

Last Friday, McFarlin hit the jackpot with his potentially risk play call. Quarterback Jake Smith hit standout receiver Ryan Davis in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left on the clock as the Titans stunned the unbeaten and top-ranked Purple Hurricanes 21-17 to end Cartersville’s 41-game winning streak and hopes of a third straight state title.

The victory advances the Titans to the quarterfinals of the AAAA playoffs Friday night at Thomson, which
had its own close call in the second round, winning 35-34 in overtime at Americus-Sumter. Centennial and Fellowship Christian both lost in their second round playoff games, with the Knights losing a 48-41 shootout to Mays and Fellowship falling 36-22 in Macon to Stratford Academy.

Blessed Trinity 21, Cartersville 17

The Titans (10-2) scored their stunning upset with an exceptional defensive effort, holding record-breaking Cartersville quarterback Trevor Lawrence in check. Lawrence, who came into the game with 3150 yards passing and 40 touchdowns, completed 15 of 28 passes against the Titans for just 121 yards, with Cartersville finishing with just 226 yards total offense and one offensive touchdown. Lawrence is the state’s all-time leader in both yards passing and touchdown passes, with his team coming into Friday’s game 53-2 since his freshman season, when the Purple Hurricanes lost in the state semifinals.

Blessed Trinity led 14-3 at the half, scoring on a 40-yard run by Steele Chambers in the opening period and an 80-yard drive in the second quarter capped by Chambers’ 1-year run with less than a minute to play in the half. Cartersville’s only score in the half came on a 55-yard field goal. After BT missed a field goal, the Purple Hurricanes scored in the third quarter to close within 14-9 after a failed two-point conversion. They took a 17-14 lead in the final period on a 75-yard punt return and successful two-point attempt.

The Purple Hurricanes had a chance to put the game away, but fumbled at the BT 10 with the Titans’ J.D. Bertrand recovering. The Titans got out of a hole with a 35-yard halfback pass from Chambers to Davis, and flipped the field position after Ethan Chauvin punted the Purple Hurricanes inside their 10.

The Titans got the ball back around midfield with about a minute to play, and moved into field goal position on a pass from Smith to fullback Jake Rudolph. A penalty backed up the Titans outside the 25, but Smith and Davis teamed up for the game-winning score to put BT in the quarterfinals for the fifth straight year.

Smith enjoyed an efficient night, completing seven of eight passes for 95 yards. Davis had four receptions for 87 yards and Rudolph added 44 yards on three catches. Chambers rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries, while Green picked up 69 yards on 17 attempts, as the Titans finished with just over 300 yards. Two-way players Chambers, Davis and Rudolph were among BT’s leading tacklers, with Smith making a contribution with his play in the secondary. Chambers, Bertrand and Raleigh Barden all had sacks, with Jacob Koelsch sharing the team lead in solo tackles with Chambers.

Like Blessed Trinity, Thomson placed second in its region and brings a 10-1 record into Friday’s game,
losing only to unbeaten region champion Burke County 27-24. After routing North Clayton in the first round, the Bulldogs edged region champion Americus-Sumter, winning on a missed extra point attempt by the home team in overtime.

The Bulldogs are primarily a running team, rushing for more than 300 yards last week while completing just two passes. They are also a big play team, scoring on runs of 65, 30 and 55 yards by three different players along with a 39-yard pass. The team’s main two running backs have combined for almost 2,000 yards rushing. The Bulldogs have missed the playoffs just twice in the past 30 years, winning three state championships, the last in 2002. Thomson has gone 35-4 the last three seasons, reaching the quarterfinals in 2015 and the championship game last year, losing to Cartersville 58-7.

Blessed Trinity lost in overtime in the championship game to Westminster in 2015 and was knocked out in the quarterfinals last year by Mary Persons 28-27.

Mays 48, Centennial 41

The Knights got involved in a shootout with one of the top teams in AAAAAA, but failed to score in the
fourth quarter after leading 41-35 pate in the third period. Centennial put up some staggering offensive numbers in a losing effort. According to team stats, quarterback Max Brosmer passed for 450 yards and six touchdowns, three each to senior Blane Mason and freshman Julian Nixon. Mason caught eight passes for 127 yards, Nixon had seven catches for 111 yards and Cal Dickie led the Knights with 12 receptions for 124 yards.

The Knights also rushed for 219 yards, led senior Emeka Nwanze, who carried 21 times for 150 yards and caught four passes for 45 yards. Brosmer added 45 yards for 495 yards total offense. Nixon’s TD catches covered 32, 21 and 24 yards, with Mason scoring on receptions of 8, 4 and 14 yards.

The Knights scored three straight touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead in the second quarter, with the game tied 28-28 at halftime. The last Centennial lead was 41-35 in the third quarter, with Mays leading 42-41 heading to the final period. The Knights played the second half without kicker Nicky Solomon, who was injured in the game.

Centennial failed on the PAT after taking a 41-35 lead and went for it five times on fourth down, converting only once. One of the failed conversions came in the fourth quarter deep in Mays territory, and Brosmer was intercepted for the second time in the final period, as the Knights were unable to score on three fourth quarter possessions.

Centennial finished the season 8-4, winning eight straight after starting the season 0-3. The Knights graduate about half their starters, including Nwanze, Mason and receiver Jacob Albright on offense. Among the graduating defensive starters are lineman Nick Croawell, linebackers David Gaffey and Drew Sherman, and much of the secondary.

Brosmer, who had a huge season in his first year as the starter at quarterback, returns along with Dickie, Nixon and almost the entire offensive line. Linemen Jack Barton and Mark Mason return on defense along with linebacker Max Able and Freddy Fairley in the secondary. The Knights will also have to
replace Solomon at kicker.

Stratford Academy 36, Fellowship Christian 22

After graduating a large percentage of its top players from last year’s team, which lost in overtime in the Class A private school championship, the Paladins made it to the second round this season before losing 36-22 at No.6-seeded Stratford Academy.

Stratford (10-1) rolled up almost 400 yards of offense and contained the Paladins’ passing attack, allowing just 119 yards through the air and returning an interception for a touchdown to take a 27-7 lead in the third quarter. Fellowship (7-5) took a 7-0 lead on Merrick Haigler’s 52-yard touchdown reception from Brooks Bryant, but the Eagles got their running game cranked up and scored two rushing touchdowns, one for 50 yards, to take a 14-7 lead at the half. Stratford scored on a 65-yard run and the interception return to expand the lead to 27-7 before Fellowship’s Casey Barham returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.

After a Stratford field goal, Haigler went 75 yards and converted the two-point try to pull the Paladins within 30-22 going to the final period, but the Eagles added a 36-yard scoring run in the final period. Bryant was 7 of 19 passing and had just 67 yards other than the touchdown pass to Haigler. Barham, who had six catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns in the Paladins’ first round win, was held to three receptions for 12 yards by the Stratford defense. Haigler rushed for 135 yards in 11 carries, with the Paladins finishing with 275 yards of offense.

The Paladins graduate their leading rusher (Haigler) and receiver (Barham) with Barham and fellow receiver James Milhollin among the team’s two-way starters. Most of the team’s top defensive players were seniors this season, including linebackers Matthew Curry and Matt Morton and linemen Billy McCurry, Mason Russell, Tad Aycock and Davis Shaw, with most of the Paladins’ linemen also two-way players.

Bryant returns at quarterback with Lawson Haigler back at running back after a strong freshman season. Receivers Cameron Gill and Cam Cochran, among the team’s two-way players, also return, along with
defensive end Reed Bott.

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